Tag Archives: ISOPURE

This post is sponsored by Isopure, but recipe, editorial remarks & enthusiasm are all mine!I was looking for a snack to take on a trail run the other day and just wasn’t happy with the packaged options available. I wanted something that would offer me enough quality carbohydrates to keep my body moving, but also protein for sustained energy and muscle recovery. It was going to be a long day – I also had a big workout planned later in the day. I needed to avoid nuts, wanted a snack that was good for my guts, and was in the mood for tart and tangy, something completely different that the normal chocolate and caramel concoctions. A big order!

I ended up making my own concoction, Tangy Cranberry Grape Protein Bites — perfection and just what I “ordered”! Made with a whey protein isolate and Isopure Amino Acids, I knew my workout snack was going to give me quality nutrition for muscle recover and building – especially with those BCAAs.

I’ve blogged about the Isopure Amino Acids before, I love this product – not only does it taste great, it features everything I need for head-to-toe recovery including all the branch chain amino acids ( BCAAs) to help me make more of my muscles, but also tart cherry to ward off inflammation and L-theanine for a calm and relaxed mind.

Other nutrition perks of these on-the-go energy protein bites? Lots of vitamins and minerals (especially vitamin C) and quality carbs to keep the engine revved on high. Not only are the unsweetened cranberries and drizzle of honey a good, dense source of carbs for any high-energy sport, the unmodified protein powder used serves the dual purpose of binder and beneficial resistant starch.

So, what am I talking about when I say unmodified potato starch is a “resistant starch”? It’s a type of prebiotic starch that “resists” digestion and prevents spikes in blood glucose and insulin. As a type of prebiotic (aka, and digestible carb), it helps to establish and support good gut health – the right environment for gut bacteria. Studies are also suggesting that resistant starches may also help contribute to weight loss through lowered blood sugar spikes, decreased appetite, lessened fat storage in fat cells and preservation of lean muscle mass. There are many kids of resistant starches, but unmodified (aka, raw) potato starch is a reliable and easy-to use option (the Bob’s Red Mill brand is sold at most stores). Anyway, all the science is a little over my head, but I thought this article How Resistant Starch Will Help to Make You Healthier and Thinner at ChrisKresser.com was very helpful in understanding.

Add cranberries, honey and water to work bowl of food processor and process for 1 -2 minutes, or until cranberries very, very finely chopped up and sticky.

In large bowl, mix together protein powder, amino powder and potato starch until combined.

Add dry mixture to cranberry mixture about ½ cups at a time, processing each time until incorporated. Dough should be forming up into a big ball with some crumbling back down. If mixture still looks too sticky, process in 1 tablespoon of potato starch at a time until desired results are achieved.

Roll into 24 bite-sized balls approximately 1-inch in diameter. May be left out in gym bag, but store in refrigerator overnight for best freshness.

Hope you get a chance to make this easy protein bite recipe for your next run or workout. They pack really well in a little zip top bag that you can take wherever you go, they don’t melt or fall apart or “go bad” sitting out all day. Stash a handful of these recovery treats in a fuel belt, pocket or gym bag and then feel free to KILL that workout knowing all your post exercise nutrition needs will be met in a few little “bites”. Also, check out Isopure BCAAs and all the other clean, lean quality protein products they offer.

Do you have a homemade workout snack? Have you ever heard of resistant starches? Did you run a race, have a fitness competition, do something else fabulous this weekend? Please share in the comments below – XOXO, Jennifer

Running comes naturally to me, it always has and I am so thankful for that. Being a runner is part of who I am (been running strong for 25 years), and God-willing, I’ll be competing at some level for many more decades. But I don’t just wake up and assume my body will perform like my ego thinks it should. I’ve eaten crow too many times for that. Staying where I want fitness-wise takes a holistic, whole-body approach which includes training smart along with eating and sleeping well. While real estate tycoons capitalize on location, location, location – we athletes make our gains on recovery, recovery, recovery!

Now, as hard as it is to admit, my gains look a little different. I’m no longer that runner in my late 20s who can train hard and play hard and still pull of a 2:50 marathon. Flash forward 20 years (and it was a flash), and I’ve slowed some . . . while that’s a hard pill to take some days, I remind myself that I perform at a higher level on an age-graded scale and, overall, I’m a stronger, more well-rounded athlete. I actually workout now– not just run! I just have to pay more attention to rest and nutrition as part of my recovery strategy. Today, I’m recovering from a run and this Med Ball Workout.

Sleep is so important for recovery and a problem area in my life, but I’ll get to that later. Nutrition is the other main component, and thankfully I can more easily control how goes down with my workout recovery! I optimize my performance for the next day by eating a colorful, wholesome diet with plenty of muscle-making protein balanced with healthy complex carbs. After an intense effort, I have a 3:1 carb-to-protein ratio snack or shake within 30 minutes (typically a whey protein isolate in the form of a shake or bar), followed up by a good meal within a couple hours. Personally, for my size, I’m eating about 100 grams of protein a day to support my active lifestyle – that’s quite a bit, but not undoable if choosing lean proteins or super-clean protein powders.

Still, I sometimes have trouble with achy joints, dead legs or delayed onset muscle fatigue (damn you CrossFit). I’ve started taking a great new lean amino acid protein product immediately after I exercise (in addition to my protein snack)– Isopure® Aminos. If you think amino acids are for hard-core bodybuilders only, look at me and think again. This forward-thinking formula supports comprehensive body and mind benefits with BCAAs combined with Tart Cherry (to reduce inflammation and thusly next-day soreness) and L-Theanine for a relaxed, calm feeling. There are studies that suggest both tart cherry and LTheanine also help to promote better sleep – yay!

Research shows that the biggest surge of muscle-making growth hormone happens while we sleep, so it’s important to get enough quality snoozing time and have adequately eaten before bed. To fuel my body through the night, I always have a slow-digesting protein snack before bed such as Greek yogurt, almonds or a protein powder shake – if I don’t, I’ll wake up before 4 am hungry! Adding a BCAA product like Isopure® Aminos can also help with the night-time muscle recovery and building process – plus, the Tart Cherry brings on the elusive Zzzzz’s!

So, are you wondering — how do you use this stuff? Just put a full scoop of Isopure® Aminos into 10 – 12 ounces of water – I appreciate that it dissolved really easily into my water bottle, no shaker or blender required. Isopure Aminos also tastes really good and refreshing after a sweaty workout or run and comes in yummy flavors including Cranberry Grape, Alpine Punch and Cherry Lime.

With only 10 calories per serving, there’s no worry about busting your daily allotment – it’s just a great booster to pair up with a whey protein isolate or other protein-rich food.

Come back on September 29th – I’m sharing a yummy bedtime snack using Isopure Aminos. Meanwhile, check out ISOPURE to get more info on how it can help you bring your strongest fight to a workout every time!